Their Patty Melt is one of the BEST in town. Super casual ambiance with a game or several on to watch. Service is quick and to the point; they do not mess around. Check it out! read more

Neighborhood bar with excellent bar food, their fish fry is crazy good but all of their food is good.

Great little spot off the highway. Stopped in today and the atmosphere was amazing - friendly staff, everyone knew people walking in the door. Excellent bloody marys and very reasonably priced! Not something on every menu, but they had Chicken Cordon Bleu Balls as part of their apps and that was amazing!! Cod sandwich was also great-I'm sure their fish fry on Friday's is just as good! We also got a patty melt, needed a touch of salt but very good still! Definitely great to stop in, grab a beer and some tavern food. Big screen TVs too so great to catch a game! read more

I hadn't been back to the former Tony Frank's since they changed ownership. I was entirely pleased with my experience. I took a group of assisted living residents there for lunch. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. I can tell a lot about a business by the demeanor of their staff. The restaurant was clean and attractive. We took up a good portion of the restaurant, but we never felt unwelcome. My cheeseburger was cooked exactly as I asked. My fries were fresh and hot, just the way I like them. Everyone in the group seemed pleased with the service and quality of the food. So thank you to the Badger Tavern staff for making our outing enjoyable. read more

For the most part, very little has changed at this location since it previous incarnation as Tony Franks Tavern. It still sports the familiar blue awning over the front entrance, has the same impressive L-shaped bar and the iconic burger-centric menu. There are differences if you look closely: the table tops are new, the new owners gave the joint a thorough cleaning and the service is significantly more attentive than it was during the Tony Franks death spiral. This confluence of factors seems to be a winning combination - the place was near capacity when I visited for lunch on a Tuesday in mid-November. I was promptly greeted as I entered and was instructed to find an open table. A cheerful server arrived a minute later to take my drink order. I let her know I needed to leave in 45 minutes, so I immediately ordered a corned beef Reuben sandwich with a half order of fries and silently wondered if the tiny kitchen could keep up with the sizable lunch crowd. As I waited for the food, I watched the staff in action and they energetically engaged with the lunch time patrons, especially the bartender. Despite the business, the noise level was not all that bad. My order came in about five minutes and at first glance, passed the eye test. My fries had a gorgeous golden brown hue and the marble rye was well toasted from its ample time on the griddle. While the slices of bread used for my sandwich were not huge, the contents were generously portioned and poured out of the sandwich into the basket holding my meal. While the fries went from freezer to the freezer to the fryer, they were well prepared, perfectly seasoned and delightfully crunchy. Fortunately, the fries has enough flavor on their own because the "House Recipe" brand ketchup was way too sweet for my tastes- blech. Since none of the sandwiches on the menu come with a side, ordering a half order of fries for $1.99 is a solid option. My Reuben ($7.95) was standard bar and grill fare with institutional grade ingredients. While the griddle work with the bread was solid, the generic corned beef needed more sear to add additional flavor, since the meat was on the bland side. The flavor that predominated my meal was the overpowering kraut that was copiously applied. The kitchen followed the standard script for assembling a Reuben without applying any unique touch - there was nothing memorable about this sandwich. While I didn't order one, I do have to add that the burgers served at the neighboring tables looked outstanding. While I'm glad this location has successfully re-opened, the standard pub fare means I probably won't become a regular. However, if that is what you seek, the Badger Tavern is worth checking out. read more

See all

One of my favorite places for an afterwork drink! The homey atmosphere paired with the very friendly bartenders make this place a staple for a newly relocated couple. The food is simple bar food, but prepared deliciously to order and very affordable! The burgers are their best seller, but I haven't tried anything here that I haven't liked. A modest yet enjoyable beer list, straightforward spirits, and an uncomplicated menu; they know what they are and they do it well. read more

Awesome little local neighborhood bar and grill. They are known for their burgers and they deliver great quality and locally sourced beef. Their menu is small but don't let that discourage you from trying their excellent sandwiches or draft beer. Their burgers deliver the best combo of local beef and Wisconsin cheese..and not too much grease to save the guilt trip. Video poker and pull tabs for those that like to gamble. place to stop in for a quick lunch or beer while your out exploring the city! read more

Badger Tavern - Patty melt and touchdown burger - Sports Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I went in alone to wait for my husband. I waited for 20-35 minutes getting ignoreed completely. It's rare to have the abity those employees have to ignore customers. I asked if I could sit down and the guy shouted at me " I won,'t even be able to look at you for 15 minutes". I sat at the dirty table for another 45 minutes. They helped customers that came in long after I had. Your staffing inabilities doea not mean you can be rude and nasty to me. We come for dinner periodically so I suppose we weren't worth bothering with if I don't sit and drink to the wee hours of the morning. I finally just quietly got up and left. I thought we had moved on from the times whers woman couldn't get served alone. I think putting one more person to get people drinks would pribably belp the service issue, but not the rudeness. read more

Hands down my favorite dive bar/restaurant in Madison. We used to live in the neighborhood and would come in multiple times per week (not ashamed :)) and they treated us like family. Can personally attest to some of our favorite foods - crispy chicken wrap, patty melt, fish fry and cheesy hash-browns. Can't go wrong! Recently moved away from Madison but this will always be at the top of our "must stop" list! read more

It was the All Star Game today, NLB vs ALB. But all the all they had on was some Awards show... what a bummer. Also i had to wait a long time for our food. But the food was good. Close to the freeway so it is convenient, but noisy... read more

Really good food, but bartender very rude, white talk guy and in a really bad mood, never coming again.

Delicious little spot for some classic bar food. Service was fast and attentive. We started with the cheese curds. They were good but nothing amazing. Their burgers were by far the highlight. I got a burger on Special that had cheddar cheese, lettuce, onion, and thousands island dressing. Very flavorful and cooked to perfection. My boyfriend got the Patty Melt which was also cooked perfectly. The fries were super fresh and crunchy as well. Definitely a great spot for a beer and a burger! read more

See all

I love this bar. It's a great local neighborhood bar with friendly staff and a great atmosphere. Not a dive bar at all. Good clientele, clean, and friendly vibe. They have an outside area in front and it get a lunch and Friday fish fry rush. So plan ahead. Very good food. read more

My husband and I stopped here yesterday for a quick burger and day drink! We hadn't been in since it was Tony Frank's....I don't remember the previous décor or anything but it felt brighter in there to me. We both had Gin and Tonics, and oh my - they were plenty stiff for a lunchtime drink. I'm not complaining though. I had their special of the day, the Johnny Mac (their take on a big Mac) and my husband had the Patty Melt - both burgers were soooo good. Mine was cooked a little more than I wanted, but it was super juicy and their fries are my favorite style - super crunchy on the outside. It's a no-frills great burger joint, and we will definitely try them out again! read more

Badger Tavern - The Johnny Mac. Far superior to an old fave of mine... - Sports Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Fast service , good pub food and a nice patio!! We had a larger party with 2 tables and separate checks and no issues.

Just recently started stopping here for a bite to eat after "the game." Love it! Recent changes are good- much cleaner and brighter. Food is very good- especially the soups and the hand pattied burgers. The cook is great and personable and he cares about his job! read more

Great little dive bar! Fun bartenders, cheap beer in a can, and AWESOME burgers. Two thumbs up from this chick!

Pretty straightforward juicy burger menu that lived up to the hype. Service was extremely prompt and the serving sizes were generous. Not many places to get a cheeseburger like this under six bucks. read more

Badger Tavern - Page 1 of the menu. - Sports Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

It is ok. Burgers and steak sandwiches are good. Friday fish fry is good. Reuben is mediocre. They do not rinse the kraut, so it is very sour and they just use bottled thousand island dressing instead of Russian dressing. The former owners had a GREAT Reuben and this new version has been pretty disappointing. Chili is average and even kind of sweet, like they put sugar in it! TV viewing for sports is a plus! Service can be spotty. read more

Tony Franks under a different name. I don't think the menu changed really at all... The prices look pretty reasonable, but when you remember they don't include fries, it's not such a value. I was really hoping they'd change at least that. I guess that's status-quo for a tavern, but... I loved the TF's Reuben, and this one was almost as good...but...I know this seems like splitting hairs but it's ESSENTIAL to not just grab a slab o' slices of corned beef out of the package they get from Sysco or wherever and slap them on the grill together, but to pull them apart and grill them separately for a moment, there's something about the folds or nooks and crannys. etc.. Anyway. They're OK...but not great. We did have a very good server. read more

If you like warm beer and drinking under gymnasium lighting....this is the place for you. Food is good but the owners need to be aware of lighting and temperature of the beer. read more

Nice hole in the wall. Came here for late night apps and everything was crisp and tasty, bartender was nice and alert.

Yesterday, the Badger Tavern (formerly Tony Frank's) served up the best cheeseburger and fries I've had in a long time. Clean, unpretentious, large portions, fresh food -- and a prompt, courteous waitstaff. They make it look easy. Managers of the Great Dane and Cafe Hollander should stop by and take notes. read more

We were thrilled when this bar reopened and the bar food was great. Unfortunately, Covid must have cost them their cooks and quality of food. Fish fry was way too salty, and the clam chowder was an unspeakable mass of terribly tasting glue. I hope they can find their way back to the great bar food they had before this terrible year. read more

I can't believe I haven't reviewed this place yet. My husband and I come here at least once a month. Badger Tavern has, by far, the best burgers in Madison. My husband and I can each get a burger, a large order of fries and two Cokes for around $25 (including tip). There's nothing fancy about them - they're simple, made to order bar burgers and oh-so-delicious. It's a fun place to watch a game, but come early because it gets crowded! We found out last weekend they also do carry out. read more

Went here on a recommendation. Fish fry was just ok, no real flavor. Sat outside but the road noise was deafening. I had a very good old fashioned. Service dull. read more

We got fish fry to go last night and the fried Walleye was amazing! The onion rings were fresh and crispy, totally worth the $1 up charge. I wish I got a photo before we dug in. read more

Great little dive bar to stop and have a beer and a Reuben! There isn't much in this neighborhood for food options, so it's nice to have a place to go. Nice outdoor seating as well. read more

What a surprise this was. I was traveling through town and looking for place for lunch. I like local joints to I took a chance. The burgers were great and the onion rings too. If I come back through Madison I will be sure to stop in again. Nice staff and plenty of big screens to watch the game. read more

Just had the best cheeseburger for under $6 I can remember in years. Simple bar menu, but they do it well. At least 8 beers on tap, many others in bottles. Cleaned up over old Tony Frank's, where I didn't always feel safe. Nice outdoor patio, but you hear and see belt line traffic. We kinda dug it. Will come back. read more

Our son lives right down the street so every time we come here we make it a point to stop in at the badger tavern. Food and service is great. read more

Food - A Great quality, great taste. The fries and coleslaw were outstanding. The burger was one of the best tasting burgers I have ever had. Temperature of the meat was done as ordered, surprisingly not a common thing, served on a wheat bun (thankfully), right amount of cheese, quality meat, not dry, not greasy. Portion was a bit on the smaller side. Wish it was a little bit more. Thankfully I was not very hungry the night was there. I did leave full on a light appetite. Service - A+ The friendliest staff around. Genuine and warm. Something you would expect of a small town out of the way joint and not in a big city. Kudos for nailing that! Atmosphere - B+ The place was very clean. Though there are not many tables so getting a seat may be very difficult. Overall - A+ Food is outstanding and the service is as good as it can get. I have been a cook and a server for many years. I am VERY picky on both. It is difficult to find a place as good as this. Now I see why it is so busy all the time. I am just sad I found this place right before I moved. read more

Nice to have Tony.., whoops, Badger Tavern back! The place is clean, they did a nice upgrade of the bar area and reconfigured furniture placement and replaced a lot of it all together. Also nice to see a reasonably priced burger back on the menu along with some healthy alternatives. Plenty of help means good service in a nice clean place! Looks like a nice steady business has returned so it looks like "The Clubhouse" is back stronger than ever! read more

First impression was excellent service and hamburger. Nicer tables then I remember. Bar is the same I believe. Nice face lift. I'll be back again. read more

Stopped at the badger Tavern Friday night it was recommended by some friends. A very relaxed atmosphere and did a fish fry that even surprised me. We were waited on almost immediately when we sat down and had food on the table within 5 to 10 minutes. The fish fry was absolutely delicious, reasonably-priced and made just before served. The wait staff was very friendly and very attentive. There were plenty of options, two or three pieces of fish french fries or onion rings homemade coleslaw which I might add was absolutely delicious. When you left you weren't hungry anymore. It was also nice to have a mixed drink or cold beer with your meal. We will definitely do this again, and we came all the way from Portage. read more

New paint job, new fries, new higher prices, moved a few tables around, but still a good burger, just like when it was Tony Franks.

We stopped here the other night as I was curious what it was like since Tony Franks closed. The inside has been cleaned up and seems brighter to me. It was a bit of a wait to be waited on and they were not busy, but our waitress was pleasant. We both ordered cheeseburgers and we split an order of fries. I asked for my burger medium well, and it was cooked perfectly. The order of fries was plenty for us to split and came out piping hot. The wait for our food was minimal. I thought the prices were reasonable, maybe even a little less than Tony Franks at the end. My only disappointment was we wanted to eat outside, but everyone that was already eating outside was smoking at their tables. Did not want to sit in the middle of that! Maybe they could designate a separate smoking area away from the eating area? read more

The lost art of cooking a great burger is found here at the Badger Tavern. Great quality meat, cooked perfectly, seared on the outside, juicy on the inside, great ingredients and a really good bun, wow! Best burger in town! Wash it down with a craft beer....this is the place to go! read more

arrived around 15 after 2. For out side seating. Pleasant. Sat down. were handed menu's. I read the sign on the table that had beer advertisement on it. It stated we sanitize tables, chairs, menus, condiments on the table before you sat down. This is false. why put it there if you dont do this. I watched people leave, the tables were cleared off and MAYBE 1 swipe of rag off the table. No chairs, no condiments were whipped no table was whipped. So as i watched people leave and watched that none of this was happening, after getting my bill i asked. so exactly when do you wipe or sanitize? she said after people leave. i said really? i watched and told her what i saw happen. she got snippy and said i did. I said i watched you and you did not do any of those things. she huffed off and came out with a rag and wiped 1 table as described then through the rag on another and huffed off. really. this is false avertising read more

Delicious burgers! Great service! Friendly neighborhood bar. Attentive staff and could not ask for a better bar burger. Try the TD Burger! read more